Devices and methods for therapeutic heat treatment

Abstract

Devices and methods for providing therapeutic heating are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the system includes a device body configured to provide heat to a portion of skin. The device body also includes a low-level heating region and a high-level heating area. The low-level heating region provides a continuous amount of heat at a first temperature, and the high-level heating area provides an intermittent amount of heat at a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method of applying heat to a living body, the method comprising:
 applying a heat to a first area of the body, wherein the heat is applied by at least one first heating element at a first preset temperature; and 
 applying intermittent amounts of heat to a plurality of second areas of the body by at least one second heating element at a second preset temperature greater than the first preset temperature, wherein the intermittent amounts of heat at the second areas of the body start and end while the heat is applied to the first area of the body, and wherein an individual first heating element is at least approximately twice as large as an individual second heating element. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the individual second heating elements is generally round and less than approximately two inches in diameter. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of second heating elements are distributed over the living body. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first area of the body and the second areas of the body are mutually exclusive. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of the second areas at least partially overlaps with a portion of the first area. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the second heating element is proximate to the first heating element. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first area includes two or more discrete areas. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  wherein a total area of the at least one first heating elements in contact with the living body is equal to or less than a sum total area of the at least one second heating elements in contact with the living body. 
     
     
       9. A method of exciting thermal receptors in a living organism, the method comprising:
 heating a first portion of skin by at least one first heating element at a first preset temperature; and 
 heating a second portion of skin with a burst of heat by at least one second heating element at a second preset temperature above the first preset temperature, wherein the burst of heat is applied while heating the first portion of skin, wherein the bursts of heat start and end while the heat is applied to the first portion of skin, and wherein an individual first heating element is substantially larger than an individual second heating element. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second portion of skin comprises a plurality of discrete individual second portions of skin, and wherein the first portion of skin is substantially larger than individual second portions of skin. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein a sum of the individual second portions of skin is approximately equal in size to the first portion of skin. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10  wherein a sum of the individual second portions of skin is larger than the first portion of skin. 
     
     
       13. A device for providing therapeutic heat, the device comprising:
 a device body configured to provide heat to a first portion of skin with at least one first heating element and to a second portion of skin with at least one second heating element, 
 wherein the first heating element applied to a low-level heating region of the body is maintained at a first preset temperature, 
 wherein the second heating element applied to a high-level heating area of the body provides an intermittent amount of heat to the second portion of skin at a second preset temperature greater than the first preset temperature while the first heating element is maintained at the first preset temperature, and wherein the first portion of skin is substantially larger than the second portion of skin. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  wherein the second portion of skin comprises a plurality of discrete individual portions of skin.